1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to data cards, such as credit cards, and more particularly to data card having a lenticular optical system, including a lenticular optical display for visually displaying a series of images.
2. Description of the Background Art
Data cards, such as credit cards, debit cards, and general or personal information cards, are well known items in common use in modern society. For example, credit cards provide consumers with a compact device that contains a wide variety of information printed or stored thereon. Furthermore, the use of data cards for containing personal, medical, financial, or business information is leading to increasing use of such cards. There are a number of ways that information can be stored on data cards. For example, information may be: printed or embossed as numbers or indicia; stored on a magnetic strip; or contained on micro-fiche or computer chip; or presented as a holographic image. Data cards are typically manufactured to generally accepted standard specifications to facilitate use world wide.
Meanwhile, in the non-analogous art of lenticular optical technology, advances in the design and manufacture of lenticular optical systems have led to increased use of lenticular arrays. Lenticular lenses are well known in the art for use in optical systems to produce various types of optical effects. Lenticular optical systems known in the background art generally include a transparent sheet having a planar surface on one side thereof and on the other side, a series of parallel longitudinal convex ridges forming a multi-lenticular system of convex lenses. A print sheet is typically disposed behind the lens adjacent to the planar surface. The print sheet contains a series of spaced image lines constituting a dissection or breakup of a master image. The series of spaced image lines are optically related with respect to the lens elements as to be alternately visible upon positional changes of the observer with respect to the lenses. When viewed from a first position a first series of image lines are visible and display a first composite image. When viewed from a second position a second series of image lines are visible and display a second composite image. U.S. Pat. No. 2,815,310, issued to Anderson, discloses an example of a dual image lenticular optical system.
In addition, further advances in lenticular optical systems have resulted in an increase in the number of observable frames available. The increase in observable frames has made lenticular animation possible. Therefore, as the observer moves relative to the lenticular viewing screen, a series of pictures come successively into view thus creating the impression of continuous changes in the phases of motion. Accordingly, current lenticular optical technology is capable of producing a composite image of a series of N scenes resulting in an animation picture when viewed properly at successive viewing angles. In addition, such technology may be used to display a wide variety of useful information, such as account information.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a data card having a lenticular array disposed on a side thereof for displaying aesthetically pleasing animated images and/or for displaying useful information to the card carrier.